Vending machine



Dec; 31, 1946. B. w. FRY

VENDING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed May 5, 1941 Dec. 31,1946. B. w. FR-Y VENDING MACHINE Original Filed May 5, 1941 8Sheets-Sheet 2 M9 I! III a 0 o o 420 wmnm #3 5 I 427 I 4 M5 44 I I 427II L 4/3 X I; 433

Dec. 31, 1946. a FRY 2,413,304

VENDING MACHINE Original Filed May 5, 1941 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 @JIO Dec.31, 1946. B. w; FRY

VENDING MACHINE Original Filed May 5, 1941 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Dec. 31,1946. B. w. FRY

VENDING MACHINE Original Filed May 5, 1941 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 31,1946. B. w. FRY

VENDING MACHINE Original Filed May 5, 1941 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 f mmv Dec.31, 1946. B. w. FRY

VENDING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Original Filed May 5, 1941 B. W. FRY

VENDING MACHINE Dec. 31, 1946.

Original Filed May 5, 1941 8 Sheets-Sheet s Patented Dec. 31, 1946VENDING MACHINE Benjamin W. Fry, University City, Mo., assignor toNational Vendors, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of MissouriOriginal application May 5, 1941, Serial No.

Divided and this application Septem-' ber 30, 1944, Serial No. 556,540

11 Claims.

This invention relates to vending machines generally, and with regard tocertain more specific features, to vending machines for cigarettepackages and the like.

The invention is a division of that disclosed in my United States patentapplication Serial No. 391,907, filed May 5, 1941, for Vending machine,eventuated as Patent No. 2,377,413, the divisional subject-matter beingthat directed to the package delivery means.

Among the severalobjects of the invention may be noted the provision ina vending machine of the class described of a compact, relatively simplearrangement having a large capacity for cigarette packages, includin allpackages of all popular size and price and including both standard andlong lengths of twenty-cigarette and twentyfour-cigarette packages andthe provision of apparatus of the class described which may easily bereloaded and serviced. Other objects will be in part obvious and in partpointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations ofelements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which willbe exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which are illustrated several ofvarious possible embodiments, 7

Fig. l is a front elevation on a reduced scale;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing in dotted lines a partially removedposition of a front panel;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on lines 33 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 7;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 55 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on line liii of Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentaly horizontal section similar to Fig. '7 butshowing an alternative construction in respect to the deliverymechanism;

and,

Fig. 11 is a vertical section similar to the lower portion of Fig. 3,but corresponding to the alternative construction of Fig. 10.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Inasmuch as a description of much of the mechanical construction of theparent application is not necessary for a complete understanding of thedivisional subject-matter herein presented, only that part which isnecessary is described.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, there are shown sidesH3 and a back H6 supported upon a base H7. Hooked into the front of thebase II'I is a front panel H9 which may pivot forward on a lower nookI54a, swinging as shown in dash lines in Fig. 2. The front panel carrieson it a right-hand coin-return cup III, a central'package receiver IZI,and at the left a match-book receiver I23. The cups III, I2! and I23 areassociated with suitable adjacent openings, through the panel H9. A coininlet is indicated at I25 which receives the necessary pieces. Below thecoin receiver I25 is a coin testing and counting unit T which is madealong the lines of the testing and counting unit shown in my UnitedStates Patent 2,361,835, for Coincontrolled apparatus, but to be furtherdescribed herein. Below the testing and counting unit T is acoin-receiving box I29 for good coins. This coin box receives only 5cand 10 pieces. other unwanted coins pass into the coin cup III. Ifdesired, a coin selector may be employed between receiver 125 and unitT, but this is not shown, being an attachable item of any desired 7design which may be purchased for the purpose.

At I3| is shown a chute that passes from one end of a horizontal matchcontainer I33, to the match-delivery cup I23. Below the match containerI33 is a horizontal penny change container I35 which sends pennies fromthe other end of the machine down a penny chute I31 and through apassage I39 and into the coin cup III.

Behind the receiver IZI is a flaring delivery trough I4I which receivespackages from a series of innerropenings 43I across the width of themachine. This is for gravity feed to the central package-delivery cupI2I.

The upper portion of the front panel H9 (Fig.

slopes back at I43 and is depressed, where it is provided with a longwindow I45 for viewing one each of various brands of packages in thewhich forwardly extend push buttons I 5|. These All 3 are located onpush rods 55 extending rearward (see also Fig. 6). The push rods 55 arelocated under the horizontal penny container as shown in Fig. 3. Theindividual supply chambers I41 extend vertically and parallel asindicated in Figs. 3 and 5. At their lower ends I53, they have the hooksI54 in rotary engagement with the upper portion of a wall I55. They aremovable forward for refilling and may also be removed, if desired. Thewall I55 is at the lower portion of the machine and in this region iscarried the delivery mechanism operative in conjunction with said supplychambers I41. This will later be described.

As mentioned in my United States Patent 2,238,- 725, for articledelivery machine, it is made clear that vending apparatus of the type inwhich the articles are stored more or less beneath the operating parts,saves head room. In the present case, this so-called console type ofcabinet is used. Various items such as selective bars, push rods,tumblers, match supply box, coin box and other parts are located more orless horizontally at the top of the machine, and underneath these andtoward the front are stored the articles (Fig. 3). At the rear of themachine, the rods 389 are brought down to a lower bearing 401 and fromthese points control discharge operating mechanism indicated generallyat 499. Each discharge mechanism 499 operates in association with apackage container I41, one of which is shown in perspective in Fig. 9.

Each discharge compartment I41 (Figs. 3 and 9) consists of a roundedbottom 4| I, rear guides 4I3, sides M5 and front guides 4I1, joined bybars M9 and 429 at the top and by a bar 42I at the bottom. Guides 4| 1are notched to provide an opening 43I, above which are short flanges445.

The contained space is divided into two by a vertical wall 423, at thelower end of which is a light leaf spring 425 and at the upper end ofwhich is hinged flap 421, which may swing forward and backward. From thefront bar 4I9 extends a light leaf spring 429 which presses lightlyagainst the lower end of the flap 421. Through the opening 43] betweenthe side walls M5 and the bars 4I9 and 429 may be viewed the packagewhich is to be delivered, the package being directly behind the windowI45 and above the spring 429 (Fig. 3). Spring 429 is a trap door.

Each compartment I41 is rotary on lower hook I54 and may be angledforward for filling, or removed if necessary. At the top it has a rest429.

Each flap 421 may lie back against a stop 433 but is normally pushedforward in alignment with the wall 423 (which spring 429 permits) bymeans of a horizontalpusher plate 435. Plate 435- is held in endwiseguides 431 and may slide forward and backward under influence of twoeccentric cams 439 on a cross shaft 5 I 5 (Fig. 8). The pusher plate 435is biased against the eccentric 439 by means of a biasing spring 443.When the plate 435 is forward, the flap 421 is so related to the spring429 and the pair of forwardly located flanges 445 that a package is heldin a stationary vertical position with its rear bottom edge on the topedge of the spring 429 and its front edges held in by the abutmentformed by the flanges 445. This presents it to view through the windowIt is the intention, as described in said parent Patent 2,377,413, thata package shall be released byangling back the respective flap 421 tothe position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3,- and in solid lines inFigs. 8 and 9; whereupon the-package may slip out of the opening 43I asindicated in the lower dotted lines in Fig. 3. Thus released, thepackage falls down into the sloping trough MI and slides down to thedelivery cup I2I (see also Figs. 1 and 2). Thus the purchaser obtainsthe very package that he sees through the window I45. As made clear inmy parent Patent 2,377,413 and as shown in Fig. '3 herein each flap 421is normally held forward by means of a horizontal pusher plate 435 and afinger I52. Plate 435' is held in endwise guides 431 and may slideforward and backward under influence of two eccentric cams 439 on crossshaft 5I5. The plate 435 is biased against an eccentric 439 by means ofa biasing spring 443. When the plate 435 and fingers I52 are forward,the flaps 421 are so related to spring trap doors 429 and the pairs offlanges 445 that all packages are held in stationary vertical positionsabove trap doors 429. When plate 435 retracts under action of spring443' and a finger I52 is pushed back, the respective package may angleas shown, to drop out of the respective opening 43I. The shaft 5I5 isautomatically operated upon pushing in a plunger I5I by means set forthin said Patent 2,377,413 but before a flap 421 may angle back, thefinger I52 attached to the corresponding plunger I5I must be cleared,which clearing is accomplished whenever the respective plunger is pushedin. The actuation of one plunger I5I by initiating automatic action ofshaft 5 I 5 causes the plate 435 to clear all flaps 421 but thisparticular plunger operation causes only the corresponding-one of thefingers I52 to clear the corresponding flap 421. All other flaps 421 areheld by the other fingers I52 on unmoved plungers I5I. Also, as statedin the patent, all other plungers I5! are locked against operation whena given one is pushed. Hence all other fingers I52 lock in theirrespective flaps 421, thus preventing delivery of more than one packageat a time.

A supply of horizontal packages 441 is stacked behind the wall 423 on abottom portion 449. It is the purpose of the mechanism 409 to push thebottommost package from the supply 441 past the spring 425 down into amore or less vertical position in a pocket 45I, from which it is flungup through the front compartment 453 and past the light spring 429, thespring functioning thereafter to act as a support as long as the flap421 is in forward position. Thus spring 429 functions in associationwith the flanges 445 and flap 421 as a trap and the next package is thuspresented to view for a subsequent delivery after it has been flung up.

The delivery mechanisms 499 consist of three cross shafts 455, 451 and459, held in lateral bearing blocks 45L Shaft 455 turns and is driven bya gear train 453 from the delivery motor J. This shaft 455 carries agroup of interior cams 465. The shaft 451 is stationary. Shaft 459 isoscillating and carries centering devices 461 on opposite ends normallyheld horizontal by springs 469 (Fig. 4). Thus the shaft 459 is normallyheld in the upper solid-line position shown in Fig. 3 wherein elevators4' are up. The ends 413 of the elevators 41I swing in the lower pocket45I between flanges 4I1. To temporarily force the elevators down to thedotted line positions shown in Fig. 3, there is provided at one end ofthe shaft 459 a lever 415 carrying a follower roller 411 driven by a cam419 (Fig. 4) One revolution of the cam 419 results in depressing thepushers 413 (dotted lines, Fig. 3) and then suddenly releasing them fromthe dotted line to the solid line position of Fig. 3, under action ofthe centering springs 489. This provides a snap-action for packageelevation past spring 429.

In order to push packages from the supply column 441 onto depressedelevators 413 as the elevators are depressed, there are provided rockerarms 48! which slide and rotate individually on the stationary shaft451. Each rocker 48! is provided at its upper end with a retractablepusher finger 483 biased upward by a spring 485. Thus as a finger 483advances to the lowermost one of the supply packages 441 it will push itout past the spring 425 and into the lower dotted line position shown inFig. 3, onto the corresponding elevator 41! which is at time depressed.When the pusher arm 48! swings back (clockwise in Fig. 3) the finger 483rotates against bias of spring 485 underneath the next descended package441. This descended package in supply 441 cannot move backward becauseof the rearward flanges 4! 3 which hold it. Each rocker arm 48! isoperated from an attached follower 481 which in turn is operated by anadjacent cam 465 on said shaft 455. Each revolution of the respectivecam 485 causes one oscillation of the rocker arm 48!. Cams 419 and 465are timed so that upon downward movement of 41!, an arm 48! movesforward; and upon retraction of an arm 48! elevator 41! flips up thepackage which has been pushed onto it.

Since it is desired to have only one rocker arm 48! operate inaccordance with a purchasers selection, each vertical rod 393' couplesin the respective rocker 48! for operation (Figs. 3, '1 and 8). This isdone by providing a shifter bar 489 for each rocker arm 48!, adjacentbars being arranged to be non-planar to avoid interference. It will beseen from Fig. '1 that each rocker 48! is shaped like a bail, and theouter ends of shifters 489 are within the bottom portions of thesebails, as indicated at 49! in Figs. 3 and '7. To operate each shifterbar, each rod 983 is provided at its lower end with a pin 493 operatingin a slot 495 of the respective shifter bar 489. Thus each shifter ispivoted at 491 and is under rotary control of the rotary motion of therespective vertical rod 383. Hence, when a purchaser pushes in a button!5! to operate a push rod 55, the respective rod 383 is rotatedcounterclockwise (Figs. 6, 7 and 8) thus to rotate the respectiveshifter bar 489 clockwise and to carry the respective follower 481 intoposition above and for engagement with the respective cam 465.Therefore, upon rotation of the cam shaft 455, the particular rocker 48!for replenishing the particular kind of package that was delivered uponpurchase becomes operable. As a package is being pushed out from thesupply 441, the respective elevator 41! descends to receive it. Then therocker 48! moves back and the cam 419 is so timed that the elevatorflips up suddenly (see the quick-return surface 499 on cam 419) to sendthe package up the passage 453 past the spring 429 and into the positionformerly occupied by the purchased package. Since the flap 421 at thistime is vertical, the package is held as shown at 58!. The rocker arms48! are normally spring-returned against the member 481 by means ofsprings 503.

An alternate delivery scheme is shown in Figs. 10 and 11. If desired,the cams 465 may be eliminated by providing only one cam 468 (like cams465) and causing this to operate a follower 488 which however isattached directly to shaft 458 which is equivalent to shaft 451 of Fig.3. In this case, shaft 458 is made square in order to pro-- vide readymeans for attachment of various parts.

On this shaft 458 is a plurality of rocker arms 482 having pusherfingers 484 upwardly biased by springs 48B. Upward bias of therespective pusher fingers 484 is prevented when desired by mask plates49!] which oscillate in a horizontal plane on the respective verticalrods 383. The normal position of each mask plate 498 is in maskingposition,as shown in Fig. 11, wherein, upon oscillation of the shaft 458from cam 466 the finger 484 is depressed to prevent it from pushing frombehind the lowermost package of supply 441. Whenever a purchaser pushesin one of the push buttons !5! and the corresponding push rod 55, therespective shaft 383 is rotated counterclockwise to clear the respectivemask plate 49!] from the respective finger 484, thus to permit thefinger to bias up upon forward movement topush out a package in thecorresponding supply compartment.

To load the machine, the front panel 9 is unlocked and swung forward, asindicated in Fig. 2. The magazines 41 are rotated forward on their hooksI54 and are filled. They may be entirely removed, if desired, as may bethe panel !!9. A packageis also placed above the spring 429 behind eachopening 43!. This package is manually held in this position until themagazine has been swung back to a position wherein the package is heldby flap 421. When the magazine !41 is rotated back into the machine asshown in Fig. 3, the fiap 421 is forced into forward position to holdthe uppermost package 58! in view behind the window I45, a supply 441being behind the wall 423, as indicated in Fig. 3. In its uprightposition the magazine gravitates clockwise so that the lip 428 restsagainst the front of the upper interior elements of the machine (Fig.3).. The lip is there positively held by the panel H9 when the latter isclosed. The brands are arranged as desired in the respective magazines,according to cost which is appropriately marked on or near buttons !5!..

Just after the purchased package falls clear of the opening 43! thepackage delivery mechanism operates to move the elevator 413 to'flip upa package vertically past the spring 429 into position 58! at which timethe flap 42'! has returned so that the package may not follow out afterthe purchased package, but remains in visible position under the window45. This also has the effect that after a purchaser has bought the lastpackage, no further package flips into position, and a purchaser isautomatically advised not to insert money for a package when none isthere.

The machine has a great capacity .for f-packages in a very compactspace, requiring little head room, since all package delivery is frombelow.

There is practically no waste space within the console case. It willcarry 400 cigarette packages.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

I claim:

1. In a vending machine, article delivery means comprising means formaintaining a stack of ar-' ticles, oscillating means for withdrawing anarticle from the bottom of the stack, a follower associated with theoscillating means, a cam intermittently driving the follower, saidfollower,

and cam normally being out of alignment for nonoperationga push rod, anda linkage connecting the push rod and the oscillating means adaptedto'shift said oscillating means into position to align said followerwith said cam, whereby oscillation and article withdrawal will occurupon cam movement.

2. In a vending machine, article delivery means comprising means formaintaining a stack of articles, oscillating means for withdrawing anarticle from the bottom of the stack, a follower associated with theoscillating means, a cam driving the follower to cause oscillation, abiased pusher on the oscillating means engageable under bias with abottom-most article to push it out of position upon forward movement butadapted to be biased under the next article upon reverse movement, amask plate, and means for moving said mask plate into position to biassaid pusher to prevent article delivery upon forwardmuvement.

3. In a vending machine, means for maintaining a plurality of verticalstacks of articles, means for withdrawing articles respectively from thebottoms of the stacks, comprising a plurality of oscillating membersoscillating together, biased pusher fingers on the oscillating membersnormally pressed toward a position to' engage a package to move the samefrom the bottom of its respective stack upon a forward stroke, butadapted upon a rearward stroke to bias under the next article withoutremoval, a plurality of movable mask plates normally positioned to holdsaid fingers against their biases to prevent article removal upon aforward stroke, and selectively operable means for moving the respectivemask plates out. of masking position whereby only a selectedfinger maymove to article ejecting position during oscillation.

4. In a vending machine, article delivery meanscomprising means forminga discharge channel, means for moving articles up against gravity insaid channel toward its upper end, a trap door admitting upward movementof articles but preventing complete return movement, said channel havingan outlet opening above said trap door, an abutment above said opening,and a movable back behind said opening having a closed and an openposition, said back in its closed position, said abutment and saidtrapdoor acting to hold an elevated article and to present it to view atsaid opening, said back when open releasing the article to be dischargedabove the trap door from said opening. Y

' 5. In a vending machine, articledelivery mean comprising means forminga plurality of discharge channels, means for moving articles up againstgravity in said channels toward their upper ends, trap doorsrespectively in the channels admitting upward movements of articles butpreventing complete return movements, said channels having outletopenings above said trap doors, an abutment above each said opening, amovable back on each channel behind its discharge opering having a.closed and an open position, each back in its closed positionythorespective abutment and its respective trap door acting to hold anelevated article, said respective back when open releasing therespective article to be discharged from said opening, a plurality ofmanually operable plungers for selectively initiating package delivery,means on each manually operable plunger for normally holding shut arespec tive back but allowing the back to open when the plunger ispushed, reciprocating automatic means normally holding all backs inpackage holdingpositions but automatically movable to packagecomprisingmeans forming a plurality of discharge channels, spring trap doorsrespectively in the channels admitting articles but preventing return-movement, said channels having outlet openings above said trap doors,an abutment above each said opening, and a movable back on each channelbehind its said opening having-a closed and an open position, each backin its closed position acting with its respective trap door and abutmentto hold an elevated article and to,

present it to view at said opening, said respective back when openreleasing the respective articleto be discharged from said opening.

7. In a vending machine, article delivery means comprising means forminga plurality of discharge channels, spring trap doors respectively in thechannels admitting articles but preventing return movement, saidchannels having outlet openings above said trap doors, an abutment aboveeach said opening, a movable back on each channel behind its saidopening having a closed and an open position, each back in its closedposition acting with its respective trap door and abutment to hold anelevated article and to present it to view at said opening, saidrespective back when open releasing the respective article to bedischarged from said opening, a plurality of manually operable plungersfor.

selectively initiating package delivery, means on each manually operableplunger for normally holding shut a respective back, reciprocating meansnormally holding all backs in package holding positions butautomatically movable to package releasing positions for all backs afterone of the manually operable plungers is operated, only said manuallyoperated plunger releasing its particular back for package releasethrough said opening.

8. In a vending machine, a magazine, said magazine comprising a verticalstorage channel for packages, a vertical delivery channel adjacent thestorage channel, a lower connection between channels for movement ofpackages from the storage channel to the delivery channel, a packagetrap door at the upper end of the delivery channel permitting upwardmovement of packages but blocking complete downward movement, saidmagazine having an outlet opening above the trap door and an abutmentabove saidopening, a flap beside the trap door and behind the opening,said flap having an open and a closed position with respect to thedelivery channel and when closed acting with the trap door and abutmentto hold packages and when open acting with the trap door to directpackages through said opening above the trap door.

9. In a vending machine, a magazine comprising a vertical deliverychannel, a package trap door spring at the upper end of the deliverychannel permitting upward movement of packages but blocking completedownward movement, said magazine having an outlet opening abovethe trapdoor spring and an abutment above said opening, a flap beside the trapdoor spring and behind the opening, said flap having an open and aclosed position with respect to the delivery channel and when closedacting with the trap door spring and abutment to hold up packages andwhen open acting with the trap door spring to direct packages throughsaid opening above the trap door spring.

10. In a vending machine, a magazine, said magazine comprising avertical storage channel for packages, a vertical delivery channeladjacent the storage channel, a lower connection between channels formovement of packages from the storage channel to the delivery channel, apackage trap door at the upper end of the delivery channel permittingupward movement of packages but blocking complete downward movement,said magazine having an outlet opening above the trap door and anabutment above said opening, a flap beside the trap door and behind theopening, said flap having an open and a closed position with respect tothe delivery channel and when closed acting with the trap door andabutment to hold packages and when open acting with the trap door todirect packages through said opening above the trap door, a manualcontrol member, means responsive to manual operation of said controlmember to move said flap to open position in order to release a packageand then back to closed position, and additional means responsive tomanual operation of said control member to move a package from thebottom of the storage channel through said connection to said deliverychannel and to throw said package upward through the delivery channel toa point above the trap door whereat it is held by said closed flap, trapdoor and abutment.

11. In a vending machine, a magazine having a delivery channel, apackage trap door at the end of the delivery channel permitting movementof packages through the trap door but blocking reverse movement, saidmagazine having an outlet opening above the trap door and an abutmentabove said opening, a flap associated with the trap door and behind theopening, said flap having an open and a closed position With respect tothe delivery channel and when closed cooperating with the trap door andabutment to hold packages and when open cooperating with the trap doorto drop packages through said opening above the trap door, a manualcontrol memher, and means responsive to manual operation of said controlmember to move the flap to open position in order to release a packageand then back to closed position, and additional means responsive tomanual operation of said control member to move a package through thedelivery channel to a point above the trap door whereat it is held bysaid closed flap, trap door and abutment.

BENJAMIN W. FRY.

